Leaked jail video shows rapper T.I. calmly pressing cops about reason of arrest
In case you missed it, rapper T.I. (aka 'Tip', real name Clifford Harris) was arrested early Wednesday morning (16 May) outside the gated community of his own house.
The Atlanta based veteran rapper was cited on misdemeanor charges of simple assault, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness after he got into an argument with the security guard at his gatehouse for not letting him access to his own community without his keys.
Attorney Steve Sadow said T.I. was "wrongfully arrested early this morning when he attempted to gain entrance into his gated community -- where his wife 'Tiny' and his family reside."
“The guard continued to refuse entry without justification," the lawyer's statement said.
"Words were exchanged and apparently the guard and/or a supervisor called the police. When the police arrived, they were not interested in hearing Tip's side of the story and wrongfully chose to end the situation by arresting Tip.”
Now, just hours after the situation has settled down and T.I. is a free man, leaked footage from Tip’s time in jail has surfaced.
The video, obtained by TMZ, shows T.I. (who also serves on the Atlanta mayor's transition team) calmly questioning the officer why he was arrested. The cop responds to the 38-year-old rapper, saying he was arrested because he was "acting a fool," which T.I. disputes, again pressing calmly for further clarification.
The officer really never answers Tip's question, which he points out over and over again. At one point, the officer accuses him of arguing with the cops, which T.I. cooly denies, saying he's just "requesting an answer for the reason of my arrest".
The cop then says that T.I. should never have come back to the gate to question the security guard and obtain his name. At this point, Tip snaps back saying he had every right to come back since he's a tax paying citizen who pays "millions of dollars" for a home in that community. T.I then says that the cop will be answering questions for his lawyer eventually.
Watch the leaked jail video via TMZ below:
T.I recently featured in Netflix's eight-part documentary series 'Rapture', which takes a close, introspective look at the lives of eight modern-day rappers, MC's and producers.
In our review of the show, we spoke about how T.I. is changing his approach to his music by trying to use the power of music to raise awareness among his audiences about the current socio-political landscape.
In light of T.I's recent change in direction and social activism, especially against issues like police brutality, it will indeed be very interesting to see how this recent arrest plays out. Don't be surprised if you hear some sick bars about it in Tip's upcoming material!
